


Another Time, Another Life (Year 1)

by Praising_Aint_Easy



Series: Another Time, Another Life [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 09:05:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13337958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Praising_Aint_Easy/pseuds/Praising_Aint_Easy
Summary: What if in death there is an alternative? Young Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and the Chosen One of the wizarding world has a choice to make. To pick up where he left off, in the wake of all the death and destruction, or to start over.





	1. Prologue: Death and Rebirth

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an idea that has been rolling around in my head the past few weeks that I finally decided to put to paper. Or well Screen. Take your pick. 
> 
> Of course I own nothing of the HP universe except the different plot that will be gone through in this story and potentially any original characters that may pop up. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Harry Potter walked through the forest to his death surrounded by those who loved him. It was an easy choice for him as he left the destruction of the last Horcrux to his best friends, knowing that those of the order would be able to finally finish off the Dark Lord once in for all. Bidding a final farewell to his deceased family, Harry let the stone fall from his finger tips before entering the clearing filled with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. “Alright Tom, here I am.”  
The Dark Lord's deep red eyes shimmered with glee as he approached the young boy. “Harry Potter, the boy who lived.” The Dark Lord drew the Elder Wand and with a deft flick of his wrist a green bolt of magic shot towards the young man, before everything went dark Harry could hear the cackling of Bellatrix at his demise.

\-- Scene Break --  
It was the sound of a train whistle that drew his attention first. Opening his eyes, Harry realized he was surrounded by a very clean version of Kings Cross station. Looking up and down the different platforms it wasn't but a moment that he noticed his old Headmaster standing before him in flowing white robes. “Hello Harry.” said the elder wizard.  
“Hello Professor.” Harry replied. “Where are we?”  
“It would appear to be some sort of Train Station I would presume.”  
“It looks like Kings Cross, just... cleaner.” the younger wizard said. “But what are we doing here?”  
Dumbledore gestured for Harry to walk with him. “It seems that you have a choice to make, Harry. You can either go back and finish what we started, or not.”  
“But I'm dead, how can I go back?” Harry asked his mentor as a train came cruising into the station. The screech of it's breaks causing the young man to wince.  
“We are in a train station, my guess is you would board a train. But this your afterlife Harry, not mine. It plays by your rules.” The headmaster sat down upon one of the many benches. “You don't have to go back if you do not wish to, there are other options.” Two more trains moved into the staging area of the platforms. “It seems you have the option to move on to the afterlife, or you can go back to the time you were most happy and start over. Though I am not sure what that would entail, nor if you would retain who you were today.”  
A small laugh escaped Harry's lips, “That would be the day I came to Hogwarts for the first time.” he mused thinking back to the train ride when Ron attempted to turn Scabbers yellow, long before anyone knew him as Peter Pettigrew. “If I remember everything from now, I could use that information to change things. Save the people I love from all the pain and death. I could even save you...”  
“Death comes for us all Harry, eventually.” The headmaster said solemnly. “It is your choice to make, the path you take. For now I must go.” Dumbledore stood up and began walking down the platform towards the train heading to the afterlife. For the briefest of seconds Harry considered joining him, before leaping up and boarding the train heading back to his past.


	2. A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this being the first real chapter, I am looking forward to reviews. This being the first time I have ever actually posted anything I have written, I only request that constructive criticism be given. So anyway, let me know what you all think.

Harry came to aboard the Hogwarts Express just as the door to the compartment slid open. A young girl already dressed in her school robes, bushy brown hair flying all over the place. "Have either of you seen a Toad?" She asked in a bossy tone. "Neville here has lost his pet and I'm helping him look for it." Her eyes lit up upon looking at Harry's face. "Oh, you are Harry Potter. I've read all about you."

A small grin touched Harry's lips as the scene played out in front of him, a sense of nostalgia hitting him hard in the gut. "And you are?" He asked playing dumb, not trying to give himself away.

"Hermione Granger." She replied. "And you are?" she asked turned to the redhead in the compartment, a mild look of contempt in her eyes.

"Ronald Weasley." the other young man in the compartment said, his mouth full of candy.

"Charmed." Hermione replied. "Well you two better get changed, we should be arriving soon." She said as she slid the compartment door shut behind her, moving on to the next in her quest to find Neville's toad.

It was true, Harry noted as he glanced out the window. The light had faded long ago it seemed. Reaching into his trunk, he pulled out a set of his robes and threw them over his normal clothes.

"That girl is mental." Ron said as he struggled with his own robes. "Did you see the way she looked at me?"

Harry laughed thinking back on how their relationship had gone over the years... or now how it would blossom. "You know Ron, I bet if you just be nice to her, Hermione might be a real good friend to have."

Ron arched an eyebrow at his new friend. "What makes you say that?"

An amused Harry just shook his head. "It's a feeling I have. They tend to be right."

The compartment jolted and the breaks began their high pitched squeal, the train started to slow as it approached Hogsmeade Station. Harry looked out the window to see faint lights of the station through the billowing smoke from the engine. Grabbing his trunk, he grinned at Ron before making his way out of the train and onto the platform.

Hagrid could be heard walking along the dark platform, as Harry drug his trunk behind him alongside Ron. “First years! Follow me! Is that you Harry?” he called out as he spotted the bespeckled boy. Harry smiled up at the giant of a man before following him down the steep path towards the dock on the black lake. The boats, small as they were, looked to be able to hold about four students a piece. Clambering into one, Harry was joined by Ron, the boy following Hermione by the name of Neville Longbottom, and a dark haired girl who didn't introduce herself. Harry noticed that she stared off at one of the other boats, where a blonde haired boy sat with two burlier boys. None of the lot seemed to be overly pleasant, and he wondered if she had been bullied by the three. Realization hit him that it was Pansy Parkinson, Ice Queen of Slytherin. 

Harry realized that she was not in his boat the first time he had lived this moment, nor had she seemed so distraught. If anything he could remember her siding with Draco and his thugs. Obviously something had happened that had not in his previous life, yet he shrugged it off as he looked back at Pansy. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly waiting for the vicious snap that would surely be her reply. 

The girl glanced to the boy sitting next to her, the venom that Harry had come to expect there was absent. A silent shake of her head, indicating her answer. Before he could press on, Ron turned around and asked, “So what house do you three think you will be in? I bet I am going to be in Slytherin like the rest of my family. Well, besides the twins of course, but they have always been a disappointment to the family dad always says.” 

The look on Harry’s face couldn’t hide the surprise in Ron’s proclamation. “I uh, well I don’t know enough about the houses to really know where I want to go.” Harry said, feinting ignorance. 

Neville, however took note of Harry’s reaction, while Ron clearly didn’t as the red head nodded. “Yeah, that’s right, you were raised by muggles. So you really don’t know anything about the Wizarding world.” 

“I want to be in Gryffindor.” Neville said quietly, drawing the attention away from Harry, as he could see Harry was having some sort of conflicting feelings about the Red headed boy. “I don’t know if I have enough bravery or courage, but it’s the house my parents were in!” 

Ron turned his head and scoffed. “Whatever you say.” He said as the boats finally launched from the dock. The castle began to draw near, and Harry was able to put Ron out of his mind for the moment as the splendor of the castle all lit up at night. Peaking to the girl next to him, he couldn’t allow himself to be hateful or bitter towards her. Even though in his timeline she clearly was willing to hand him over to the Dark Lord. He was pleased to see that she had the look of awe all the first years had. 

Before long the boats made their way to the dock and the first years were led by Hagrid to Professor McGonagall, who was waiting for the first years just outside the Great Hall. “Welcome to Hogwarts. In just a couple minutes the start of term feast will begin. But first you will be sorted into your houses. Each house acts like a family, you will go to classes with your house, sleep in the house dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each have produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the House Cup.”

Professor McGonagall glanced over each of the first years before her, before proceeding. “The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the whole school, take a few moments to freshen up and I will be back for you in just a minute.” She said before turning away from the group of children and entering the Great Hall. 

“I hear Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.” A voice came from within the crowd of students. The blonde haired boy Harry knew to be Draco Malfoy moved towards him. “I’m Draco Malfoy.” He said as he glared at Ron who was standing beside Harry. “You will soon learn that some Wizarding families are better than others, you don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.” Draco extended his hand towards Harry. 

“I think you should learn how to treat your friends better before you go and try to make new ones.” Harry replied, his eyes darting to Pansy quickly. Not quick enough for Draco not to notice where the chosen one was looking. 

A slight blush came to Draco’s features before turning away, returning to Crabbe and Goyle. Ron was snickering at Draco’s embarrassment, when Harry glanced over at Pansy. She was giving Harry a smile, though he could tell that she was still feeling a little down over the whole situation. Maybe, he realized, he could do something about their relationship. Actually befriending her, might make his life easier over the next few years. Not to mention he could get close to Draco on his own terms, which could turn the tides in the war to come. 

Returning the smile Pansy gave him, Harry heard the return of Professor McGonagall. “Alright students, this way!” Following the Professor the group of first years found themselves between the four house tables, where older students were watching with interest. Before them sat an old pointed wizarding hat on a stool in front of the staff table. 

“When I call your name, you will sit here and the Sorting Hat will be placed upon your head.” Professor McGonagall said as she lifted the hat from the stool by the tip. “Hermione Granger.” 

The bushy haired girl that had been Harry’s best friend and sister in his previous life walked up nervously towards the professor. Sitting on the stool the hat seemed to be silent for a few moments before announcing “RAVENCLAW!” 

It was then that Harry knew that he was playing by a completely different set of rules, and that he may not have the support of his two best friends moving forward. At least in the respect that they had been before. Professor McGonagall called up the next few students, all of whom seemed to be in their normal houses, including Draco Malfoy. “Ronald Weasley.” She called at last. 

The hat took nearly as long as it did for Malfoy, which wasn’t very long at all before calling out “SLYTHERIN!” Harry glanced around the room and seen that Percy was welcoming his younger brother, while the twins sat at the Gryffindor table shaking their heads.

“Harry Potter.” The professor called his name finally. Walking up slowly to the stool, he wondered if he would have to beg to be put back in Gryffindor once again. 

“Hmm, It seems you have already been sorted boy. What are you doing here?” The hat whispered into his ear. 

Knowing the hat could read his mind, Harry showed him everything that had led to his choice of coming back to now. 

“I see, well, better be… GRYFFINDOR!” The hat called out and Harry made his way to sit by the Twins. 

“Pansy Parkinson.” Professor McGonagall called out to one of the remaining few first years standing there. It seemed like ages for the Sorting Hat to decide before surprisingly it called out “GRYFFINDOR!” 

The crestfallen look on the young girl as she slowly made her way to the house table, was clear as day. He wondered if it were because all her friends were in Slytherin, which that had to be it. After all, the house rivalry was horrendous between the two. 

Pansy made her way to sit at the end of the table away from everyone else, looking lost as she kept glancing across the hall at Draco. Harry noticed that Draco looked torn between his friends at the Slytherin table and Pansy. 

As soon as the sorting was completed, Dumbledore made his start of term announcements before the feast magically arrived. Noting that Pansy wasn’t eating and Draco looked ill himself, Harry did something that nobody in the recent memory had done. 

Standing up from where he sat, he confidently made his way across the hall. Everyone had gone silent at seeing the boy-who-lived walk across into enemy territory, until he stood in front of Draco Malfoy. 

“What do you want Potter? Can’t you see I am trying to eat my dinner?” Malfoy giving him his signature sneer. 

“Mal-Draco, listen. Think what you want about me, say what you want about me. But if you are truly Pansy’s friend, then walk with me back to that table and sit with her. She needs her best friend right now.” 

Harry turned back towards the Gryffindor table, taking in the fact that everyone was staring at him, including the teachers. Harry could swear that even Dumbledore gave him a wink. Draco had sat there for a moment, the rest of his classmates shaking their head at the blonde boy. Finally making a decision, Draco stood up at the shock of everyone in the room, especially Pansy who starred in wide eyed wonder as her friend made his way across the hall. 

Harry had resumed his seat next to the Twins who had given him a wide berth. To be honest, Harry was not expecting high praise from anyone at his table, he just knew what it was like to be without friends. Especially his best friend, he thought as he eyed the bushy haired girl two tables over.


End file.
